


Frozen Hell Burning Heaven

by MinYun



Category: K-pop, Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bang Chan is Whipped, Eventual Smut, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Hwang Hyunjin Being an Asshole, Lee Minho | Lee Know-centric, Love Confessions, Love Triangles, M/M, Minor Injuries, Mutual Masturbation, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-War, Shy Lee Felix (Stray Kids), Smut, Unrequited Love, Violence, tagging the fuck out of smut because I'm tired of people in my dms about it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-16 14:13:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28957758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MinYun/pseuds/MinYun
Summary: Minho never held it against him, he never tried to hold Chan responsible for all the promises they made the day they spent together as children. Minho wanted to tell himself he didn’t even remember that day.And the promises …Minho promised he’d come back the next day and Chan promised he’d be waiting and they promised they’d be friends forever…and after all that…Red-faced and sweaty-palmed Chan told Minho he loved him.Then Minho was shipped off and he never saw Chan again.
Relationships: Bang Chan/Lee Minho | Lee Know, Han Jisung | Han/Lee Minho | Lee Know
Comments: 2
Kudos: 20





	1. Promise

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Displaced](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23726086) by [MinYun](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MinYun/pseuds/MinYun). 



> This has been sitting in my drafts for too long. let's see how it goes

Minho never meant to be caught.

He knew Beomgyu and Taehyun did but  _ he _ never meant to be caught.

When the soldiers raided the village they’d been hiding in, Minho fully intended on getting away; fully intended on getting as far as the next city. He didn’t know how he was going to navigate in the snow but his sled had a compass and he was willing to rely on it. He had a plan. A rash half-baked plan but a plan nonetheless. His bags were packed with the few belongings he had, a week’s worth of cured meat and extra blankets. He just had to grab it and go.

He knew the raid was coming. He warned everyone who would listen, whispered it in the alleyways and pubs, but the truth was, they were tired; tired of the running, the hiding the snow, the bombs. The village folk were mostly elders too old to keep going and children too young to understand. No one wanted to move even though everyone was fully aware that they were squatting in that village.

Minho wasn’t old enough to remember the actual war or the split of the nations. By the time he was born the world was already headed to this state. War-torn and frozen. The only people who lived an even remotely good life were those who were useful. Doctors, technicians, mechanics, farmers. Minho wouldn’t call himself useful. Resourceful maybe but useful was pushing it. Still, he knew that he could find a better life somewhere out there and he would have no chance of living that dream if he got caught.

Beomgyu and Taehyun thought living at a war camp would be better than freezing to death in the village so they went willingly when the soldiers arrived. Minho tried to run; he didn’t make it very far before someone tracked him down and dragged him kicking and screaming to the cages.

Their chips were marked, their bodies scanned, then they were shipped off through the ports to the camp they were in now.

They’d been there for almost four months.

They shovelled snow, unloaded trucks and convoys, tended to the injured, cooked the meals, washed the clothes, they were slaves to the soldiers.

“At least we get two hot meals a day” Taehyun reasoned as they sat around a fire with their dinner. 

There weren’t many people their age at the camp. Besides Taehyun and Beomgyu, Minho had only met two others. A boy named Felix - who didn’t speak a lick of their language- and his friend Seungmin - who translated everything for him.

They were ported from a separate raid.

Raids. There were a lot of those now. Almost every week there was a new batch of prisoners coming in. some were put in Minho’s section to work, the others were locked up and guarded, either way, none of them were free.

“You’d trade your freedom for a meal?” Minho asked. Taehyun only shrugged and blinked his big eyes at the fire in front of them. He sat comfortably on his stool shoulder to shoulder with Beomgyu as they ate.

Minho sighed and looked out into the already pitch-black sky. He just wanted a chance to get out of there and do something with his life. Taehyun wasn’t wrong for wanting things this way. They were never starved or freezing, they got ample rest and kept busy. Minho’s body was already starting to fill out with muscle from all their tasks, Beomgyu wasn’t as sickly skinny as he used to be and Taehyun looked like he may have grown an inch. The soldiers weren’t unkind but this wasn’t a life.

Minho’s grandparents raised him, moving from village to village to make sure he was fed and clothed and had a place to sleep. Their deaths were not unexpected and His grandfather had prepared him for it. Minho knew how to hunt his own food, be quick and unseen, he was good with most weapons especially knives and he was smart.

He’d have been a great soldier but the recruitment process was hard to get into. They only choose the best of the best and somehow Minho had never been good enough. Year after year he’d hear the same things: too young, too short, too small. None of that was his fault.

He had planned to try again this year, but that clearly wasn’t about to happen.

“We would have died out there Min, and you know it” Beomguy whispered. 

The fire crackled between them accompanied by the clinking of chopsticks on metal plates. The war camp was just a large clearing on the outside. The forest surrounding them was heavily guarded and the outer walls were miles away. The bunkers were underground, an entire network of tunnels, dorms, cells and offices that made up the camp. They built fires for light and heat. Most tech got shut off at the forest to keep the workers and prisoners from communicating with the outside but of course the people in charge had ways to over ride that accordingly. It wasn't much different from how they lived in the village. The difference was that in the village they were free.

“We would have been fine-”

“-We would have died!” Beomgyu snapped “you know the survival rate out there, this is a better reality than any of us were going to get”

Minho and Taehyun stared at him. Even Felix and Seungmin looked up from what they were doing to watch Beomgyu. Minho didn’t know Beomgyu or Taehyun for very long. He met them months after his grandparents died. They let him move into their single room hut and in return Minho hunted for them. They moved to the next two villages with him and although he couldn’t say they were  _ friends _ , it was still nice to come home to people.

Taehyun was bold. Everything about him was bold from his enormous eyes, nose and mouth to the way he spoke his mind. Beomgyu tended to be timid and listless. His face was delicately shaped, his eyes always seemed sleepy or sad and his voice was low and soft. This was probably the first time any of them had heard him come close to losing his temper or even raising his voice.

“You asked Taehyun if he’d sacrifice freedom for a meal well I would. If I had this option before maybe my parents and sister would still be around” He hissed

“Gyu-”

“No!” he cut Minho off with a slash of his hand “You’re old enough now to stop dreaming Min. this is our life now. Get used to it and stop trying to make us _ feel _ bad for being content” 

Beomgyu tossed the rest of his dinner on the fire then stormed off in the direction of the bunkers. Taehyun sighed and stood to follow him giving Minho a pat on his shoulder

“You've always dreamed too big for him,” Taehyun said as he left.

Out the corner of his eye, he saw Seungmin and Felix stand as well.

Minho bit his lip and looked back at the sky.

His grandparents had told him there used to be things called stars up there. Thousands of tiny little lights glowing in the darkness. All the moons were covered tonight and he wished the stars were there now so the sky wouldn’t look so empty. He wondered absently if stars were just a _ sky _ thing or if people could have stars too.

Little lights for their dark empty hearts.

Tears welled in Minho’s eyes. Not for the first time he found himself wishing he could talk to his grandparents. What he would give to see his Grandfather fumbling with the controls for the sled or his grandmother wincing as she cleaned another dead animal that Minho had hunted. What he would give for cold days snuggled contently between them, sipping on hot herb tea as they told him about the old world.

“It’s still okay to dream Minho” a soft voice said behind him.

Minho turned and looked up into Seungmin’s face. There was a small smile on his lips as he gazed at the sky too. Felix was close to his back, both hands holding tightly to the hem of Seugmin’s coat. Felix was an interesting kid. He seemed so small and docile but there was a hint at something sinister in his eyes. His pixie-like face was almost always expressionless except when he was laughing with Seungmin. Although it looked like Seungmin was in charge Minho could tell that the tall boy Felix liked to hide behind was not the mastermind behind any of their plans. After all, Minho had learned that Felix was actually a small-time crook and when their camp was raided they found actual military issued arsenal in Felix’s hut.

Their dynamic had always intrigued Minho. His grandmother’s favourite pastime had been people watching and Minho picked up the habit easily but while his grandmother was concerned about who’s hut had fire and if the neighbour’s oldest son was able to gain anything from his hunt, Minho was concerned about how much he could learn by simply observing.

He missed her.

He missed them.

“Thank you Seugmin” Minho said.

Seungmin shrugged and headed to the bunkers with Felix on his tail.

It was nice of him to try to offer comfort but Beomgyu’s words had already hit home.

His family was dead and maybe if Minho had stopped dreaming earlier they wouldn’t have had to move as much. Keeping Minho fed and clothed had been tough on them and his dreams to join the force had brought them more than their fair share of trouble. None of what he learned was going to be useful here anyway. Maybe Beomgyu was right. Maybe Minho was old enough now to stop dreaming.

  
  


Minho woke to the sound of feet rushing around the hall.

He groaned and sat up in his bunk to listen to the soldiers calling orders.

“what’s happening?” Taehyun groaned rubbing his eyes and sitting up in his own bunk

“I don’t know,” Minho answered, swinging his legs out of bed and into his boots. He laced up and pulled on his coat before slipping into the hall barely avoiding being trampled by a soldier rushing by.

Across the hall he could see Felix’s head peeking out from his and Seungmin’s room.

“oi!” a voice snaps “what are you still doing here? A convoy got in and it’s not gonna unload itself!” the man shouts as he continues bustling by.

It’s not a soldier he’s used to seeing. A quick glance at his watch tells Minho it’s still very late at night. His shift doesn’t start for a few hours but he wouldn’t be able to go back to bed with all the movement anyway.

Closing the door behind him he follows the crowd up to the surface where a convoy has parked in the middle of the clearing. There must be around thirty trucks. Off to the side is a black van equipped with all kinds of wires and antennae sticking out the roof.

There was utter chaos for a few moments; soldiers and workers running around trying to unload creates of supplies, snow being shovelled out of the way so the truck tires were free, fires being lit around the court to light the dark area.

The bustling was almost enough to distract Minho from the people emerging from the van.

Almost enough

He’d never seen them in person before but from descriptions and the few glimpses of them on the electronic billboards back in the village, Minho knew exactly who they were.

Mr Bang’s most trusted soldiers had stopped through the camp on their way to another village and Minho couldn’t take his eyes off them.

The tall blonde with the dimpled smile was Namjoon the Warden. He was so well respected, not a soul dared to speak to him out of turn, some of the men didn’t even look him directly in the eye. He was accompanied by Seokjin, a slender, elegant man who carried the title of medic but at a glance, anyone could see that he was so much more. He could kill as well as he could heal. His face was soft but his aura was not particularly friendly as he went over the stocks with the field medics on staff. Then there was the infamous Min Yoongi. Even back in the village, Minho had heard a lot about him. A master of stealth and infiltration, pale as the moon and as deadly as poison.

Between them all was Chan.

MInho felt his heart leap to his throat. He stupidly rubbed his eyes as if that would change the vision of snow white skin thick pink lips and unruly hair before him.

Mr Bang was their president of sorts.

After the split of nations he took up power in what used to be Seoul and built an empire from the ground up. He was rarely seen outside of his offices back in the city. His 7 personal soldiers did all the appearances for him. Even more rare was it to see his son, Chan.

People believed that Chan had been ported to another land mass to keep him safe, most didn't even believe in his existence; Minho’s grandfather always believed the boy was hiding under their noses.

Minho only knew what Chan looked like because his father worked at the Bang’s residents a few years ago and had taken Minho there one day.

Incidentally it was the same day he abandoned Minho with his grandparents.

Chan was younger then, maybe around twelve or thirteen, but his pale skin and curly hair hadn’t changed. Minho would know it anywhere.

“Hurry up!” someone shouted and Minho saw Taehyun, Beomgyu, Felix and Seugmin all being led up to the side of the trucks with a few other younger prisoners.

Felix was as usual clinging onto Seungmin as they all stumbled into a line. Beomgyu’s expression was nonchalant as always but Minho could see the hint of fear in his eyes as he watched Namjoon. He knew just as well as Minho who these men were.

“Didn’t you say there was one more?” Namjoon asked, not looking up from his clipboard.

“Yes- yes sir, but he.. uh wasn’t in his room” the private stuttered

Namjoon hummed and finally looked up to scan the crowd. He looked toward the forest first but then, as if a voice only he could hear alerted him, he swung his eyes back to the camp. His eyes found Minho instantly and he smiled but said nothing as he turned back to the line of boys before him. Minho sucked in a harsh breath and cursed himself. His grandfather would have been furious with him for standing out in the open like he was.

He walked around the edge of the crowd till he was behind the truck closest to the boys, then crouched behind the wheel.

Almost four months and nothing like this had ever happened before. They never got important guests, definitely not the likes of Namjoon Yoongi Seokjin and Bang Chan.

It was scary but exciting.

“Come see them Chan” Namjoon called and Chan walked over to the line-up.

“The last one?” Chan asked

“He’ll turn up” Namjoon assured him and Chan nodded

He started on Taehyun’s end. Looking him up and down before shaking his head and moving on. Beomgyu was next. Chan looked to be considering him. He turned to Namjoon and whispered something. Namjoon motioned Seokjin over and he looked Beomgyu over too, prodding his head around the chip site before shaking his head. With a sigh Chan moved on to Felix. Felix said something and Chan answered with a delighted smile on his face. Minho knew Chan spoke some English. Maybe that was the language Felix spoke. Minho didn’t know any other languages well enough to identify them.

Chan called Seokjin over, the medic did the prodding thing again then nodded and led Felix out of the line, and then it was Seugmin’s turn.

“State your business ...soldier” a low voice rumbled behind him and the cool nozzle of a gun was pressed to his nape.

“i-uh” Minho stuttered “I’m sorry I don’t mean any harm” He was so certain he was hidden it didn’t occur to him to keep his guard up. Minho could slap himself he’d been so dumb. No wonder he failed to get into the force every year.

“Of course not, you only meant to stow away and escape” the voice accused

“You called me a soldier, why would a soldier have to escape?” Minho bit his lip. Mouthing off wasn’t going to help him right now. His grandfather always told him his mouth would be the death of him.

The person chuckled and Minho found himself turning to face Min Yoongi.

He was bigger this close up. Taller than Minho by a few inches. His eyes were incredibly dark; nothing more than black slits in his face shielded partially by the lightest mint green fringe, but they were so disarming. Minho felt physically weaker in his presence. He felt naked down to his bones under the scrutiny of those dark eyes.

Yoongi reached out a hand and pulled him up. Minho had several pounds on him but by the way he was just heaved to his feet, Minho knew he’d never be able to get away if he tried.

“Soldier worker prisoner… we are all looking for an escape” Yoongi said cryptically. Minho shuffled his feet not knowing how to respond to that 

“it’s okay, I know who you are Lee Minho, what I want to know is why you aren’t over there jumping on board for an opportunity of a lifetime.” Yoongi said

“You… you know me?”

“Hard to miss someone who has literally tried to get into the force every single year since his sixteenth birthday” Yoongi says with a sly smirk on his lips. He puts a finger to his ear and says in his low rumble “Seokjin… this one too”

Within seconds Seokjin walked over. He was much larger too. He was usually next to Namjoon who dwarfed him but next to Yoongi he looked massive. He was also stunning with blonde hair, thick eyebrows and full pink lips. Minho’s hair stood on end in his presence. There was something strange about this man, his beauty and grace hid something sinister.

Seokjin reached forward and ran his fingers through Minho’s overgrown hair till he found the chip site and pressed on it for a moment. A light blinked on at his ear. He must have a chip reader giving him all Minho’s health stats. He ran his other hand along Minho’s skull then down his neck to his pulse point then around to his forehead. He looked Minho in the eye as he trailed his hand down to Minho’s abdomen where a large scar adorned his flesh. It was a wild boar that did it. He was young enough to forget the pain but the scar was still there large and ugly. Seokjin removed his hand and Minho gave an involuntary shiver. Seemingly satisfied with the scans the medic nodded and turned to the approaching Warden.

Namjoon smiled at him again.

“We finally meet, Lee Minho,” he said, ushering Chan forward with a gentle arm “This is Chan, you Felix and Seungmin can ride with him and the other boys to the port.” He says.

Minho locked eyes with Chan. The pale boy’s face looked conflicted, teeth buried deep into his full pink lips, down turned eyes watchful as he assessed Minho’s response to him. Minho felt his heartbeat speed up but was careful to keep his expression neutral as he gazed back at Chan.

“The rest of us have matters to attend too,” Namjoon continued, either oblivious to the tension or just ignoring it. “Jungkook will be on the other end. I’ll take the other recruits to the secondary location and report to your father” With those brief instructions Minho is pushed in the direction of Felix and Seungmin while Yoongi Seokjin and Namjoon go the other way.

He doesn’t even have time to say hello to the two boys before they’re being barked at to get in the back of the crew carrier where two other boys are already huddled in the corner.

A blonde with full pink lips, narrow eyes and a brand etched onto the skin of his neck, identifying him as an estranged member of whatever family he came from; His body looks long and lithe even crouched on the seats. Next to him is a much younger looking boy with a sharp fox like face and bright blue hair partially tucked under a beanie. He eyed them warily as they piled in and took seats.

“Buckle in, there’s a storm in the east, we can try to go around it but through is faster,” one of the soldiers says and Chan nods while buckling himself across from Minho.

“We should reach the porting hub at O five hundred hours; Changbin and Jisung are already at the station with Jungkook” Chan nods his thanks as the driver crawls through to the front.

The canvas flaps are clicked into place and Minho feels the truck lurch as they begin to move.

Not even a minute into the journey Chan spoke.

“Were you hoping to avoid me?” he asked

Minho sighed. It was wishful thinking that Chan wouldn’t remember him. He had stayed so quiet that Minho entertained the thought.

“No, I didn’t know what was going on, I just came up to check” Minho answered

“Always so curious Min” Chan chuckled.

They fell silent again. Felix fell asleep on Seugmin’s shoulder and the other two boys stared through the little plastic opening in the canvas as if they could see something besides the miles of snow.

“Min” Chan called again

“Yeah?”

“Was it something I said? I know we were young but-“

“It wasn’t you. Our paths just didn’t cross again until now” Minho didn't even look him in the eye as he spoke and he knew he was being a dick but he couldn't bring himself to care.

Chan… Christopher Chan was here buckled across from him eight years later and trying to go on as if this was normal. As if they hadn't been separated for almost a decade.

“You never looked for me,” Chan whispered. His eyes were on his boots but he looked up as he heard Minho laugh a hoarse bitter sound 

“ _ Look  _ for the elusive Christopher Bang?” he said and saw Chan bite his lip again “I’d have been shot for even assuming you exist!” he snapped and looked back to the small plastic window.

“Min, please I’m-“

“I already told you. It wasn’t you. It was never you Chan'' and he wasn't lying. It was never Chan's fault. That day was the best day of his life and then the worst. He wanted to hold that day close to his chest and forget it all at once. He never thought about it and seeing Chan now just made his head spin with dizzying glimpses of everything he lost.

Minho loved his grandparents but to get them he was ripped away from everything else without warning.

“Min-“

“Not here” Minho hissed looking over at the blonde who had turned at the sound of their harsh whispers. The boy had the audacity to look hurt as he turned back to the window.

They were in the heart of the storm now. Even Felix couldn’t sleep through the howling wind. Snow and hail beat against the canvas and all they could do was hold tightly to their coats and hope the canvas over their heads held out.

Soon enough the truck came to a shuddering halt and the driver crawled back through the opening.

“Storm is on our tail Mr Bang, we have to port quickly” he said, pulling the blue haired boy out of his seat.

Minho could hear the storm behind them. They didn’t have much time before the risk of being completely buried in snow would become a real threat.

The porting hub was empty. It was either Mr Bang’s private port or it was so far from any of the towns that no one stuck around.

“Felix and Hyunjin, go in first,” Chan said, pushing Felix forward.

The blonde took Felix’s hand reassuringly and pulled him into the chamber. A horrible screeching started up deep in the cogs of the machine alerting Minho to the fact that the port wasn’t well maintained.

“Seungmin and Jeongin next”

Both boys walked in quickly eager to be reunited with their friends. Then it was down to Minho and Chan.

Chan walked in first and Minho closed the door behind them. The latch was rusty but it would hold.

Chan checked the pre-set coordinates. They were clearly set remotely beforehand. He jammed his thumb into the start button and the groaning and clanking started up again growing to a defining decibel before stopping all at once. The door slid open and there stood Jeon Jungkook Mr Bang’s top Tech expert and two other boys.

A small chubby faced boy with wide expressive eyes and a much shorter boy with a stocky build. They both hugged Chan as he stepped out. Minho noted the large black seals on the backs of both their hands. They both came from high ranking houses.

Minho never got his seal. Thinking back he should have asked his father about it. It was almost as if he’d planned from the start to kick Minho entirely out of his mind.

“Jisung, Changbin, this is Hyunjin Seungmin Felix and Jeongin” Chan introduced. The boys greeted each other warmly then all eyes turned to Minho who was just stepping out the chamber.

“And this is Minho”

Changbin and Jisung both looked Minho over sceptically before Jisung stretched out a hand for Minho to take.

“Heard a lot about you,” Jisung said cherrily. He had the most adorable smile. Minho plastered a look of indifference onto his face as he returned the handshake. Changbin shook his hand next but said nothing as his eyes scanned Minho from the top of his thick black untended hair to his scuffed up booth clad feet.

“There’s a storm on the other side” Chan told Jungkook who absently nodded his head. He was too busy reading the scanners on his arm to pay much attention to Chan. Jeon Jungkook was maybe around Chan’s age but he had the air of a senior. He was tall and muscled which should seem out of place with his bunny-like face and fluffy dark hair, but somehow it wasn’t. He was much friendlier than the other 6 elite but just as intimidating.

“The bunkers are set up but you’ll port from my lab. We don’t want any traces” Jungkook called over his shoulder still absorbed in his scanners.

The building around them looked abandoned but well-kept nonetheless. It resembled a house that would have existed in the old world with a small kitchen type area, a counter surrounded by rusted stools and an electric ice box instead of a battery powered one. The windows were boarded up and white sheets covered the furniture around the small room.

Minho walked around careful not to disrupt anything.

His grandparents' house looked like this. The first one he went to before they started moving around for Minho’s training. They must have missed the cosy little comfort it offered. All the villages they camped in after that were camps during the war. All the houses were either huts or reinforced bunkers with cold tiled floors and military issued furniture.

“So… Minho” Minho was startled out of his thoughts by Jisung. He was short. Shorter than even Minho, he had a slight build and his expressive eyes were wide with open curiosity. His hair was a shaggy mane of blonde that grew past his ears and his scarf almost covered most of the lower half of his face.

“Chan’s finally found you” he said with a small smile showing off his crooked front teeth.

“Chan was looking for me?” Minho asked incredulously.

“Has been for years, every time we got to your last known location you disappeared. We found out you were at the camp this morning, Chan turned the whole convoy around” Jisung chirped excitedly.

Minho looked over to where Chan was talking with Felix. He didn’t know Chan would have been so affected by their single encounter. He supposed he should have known considering the last words a young Chan had told him that day was _ , “I love you” _

“I didn’t know” Minho whispered to himself

“Yeah” Jisung snorted “obviously. I mean. I know Chan could get obsessive at times but he was determined to find  _ you _ in particular-”

Jisung was still speaking but Minho couldn’t hear him over the roaring in his ears.

Chan couldn’t have meant it could he?

They were kids.

Minho never held it against him, he never tried to hold Chan responsible for all the promises they made the day they spent together as children. Minho wanted to tell himself he didn’t even remember that day. The hours they spent playing and talking, the way they held hands as they ran through the halls the way Chan made sure Minho was comfortable at his house while his father worked.

And the promises …

Promises that they’d meet up again, Minho promised he’d come back the next day and Chan promised he’d be waiting and they promised they’d be friends forever…and after all that…

Red faced and sweaty palmed Chan told Minho he loved him.

Then Minho was shipped off and he never saw Chan again.


	2. Chapter 2

Training had started immediately.

Jungkook led them to the sleds and it was a short ride to his lab. 

Minho had not known the boy for more than a few minutes but the lab was so personalised Minho thought he’d probably be able to write a book on Jungkook by just looking around.

There were computers everywhere. Monitors mounted on every wall, machines in varying states of dismantled, some old and rusted and some newer and shiny.

Minho didn't have much practice with tech. He could fix cars and trucks because his grandfather taught him and he could fix sleds because he had to learn how to keep his only form of transport going. But computers, porting stations, communicators, he hadn't been exposed to them growing up. Jungkook’s lab was fascinating.

Behind a plastic tarp curtain was another area that looked like a bed room. Minho caught glimpses of hand drawn pictures on the walls. Pictures of the other elite. Taehyung and Jimin laughing and Hoseok in his uniform. The drawings were so realistic and captured so much emotion Minho almost felt like he was there. On the furthest wall was a large picture, coloured and blown up of Jungkook laying on Yoongi’s arm. An adoring smile on Yoongi’s face as Jungkook laughed up at the sun shining into his face. That one seemed personal so Minho looked away.

To the left against the wall was a giant metal contraption hooked up to a few laptops all running codes across their screens. Some were flashing numbers and red alarms but it was all muted and half haphazardly covered by a white sheet, almost like it wasn't actually supposed to be seen.

They didn't stay very long. 

Jungkook ushered them all into the porting station and they were whisked off to their training bunker.

The top floor was ground level; with bedrooms down the long hall, a kitchen at the center and a small living space just through the front door. The bedrooms were standard single rooms with iron posted single beds against a wall, a cupboard chair and table as furniture and a door to the bathroom which connected to another bedroom.

Minho’s bathroom connected to Jisung’s room.

They were instructed to change into their training gear and meet on the lower level and that was when their hell began.

For the past month they had practiced hand to hand combat, knife skills and a fair amount of reading lessons. All of this was practiced in the huge underground bunker that seemed to trap every cold wind. The floors were always slick with ice and the temperature seemed to randomly drop right around the time their weapons class started ensuring that they’d be shaking too hard to ever get the runs down. Out there they won’t be training by the heat of a space heater, but at least they’d have their jackets on.

Seungmin and Hyunjin looked about ready to commit murder. Neither of them had signed up for this kind of thing. Jeongin, Felix, Changbin and Jisung took to the new schedule much easier. As for Minho. This was a typical morning.

His grandmother always preferred him to do his training outside in the early hours of the morning so he could be done by day break. Although she was proud of him she didn’t want the neighbours to see. Who knew when one of them would rat them out to the force. By the time his morning training was done, Minho’s frozen fingers couldn’t even hold a mug of herb tea to warm himself up.

A few days after they arrived at the bunker they’d been told why they were there. Mr Bang had decided that his son needed his own personal elite team and entrusted Namjoon to create one but being the kind of person he is, Namjoon had dragged Chan along to choose the boys he would be spending the next few years entrusting his life to.

With the rise of illegal tech showing up in the cities it was only a matter of time before the force would have to move in and crack down on the villages, for that reason they should be thankful that they got out in time. Beomgyu was right. They would have died if they stayed out there.

“Switch” the instructor called and a collective moan rose up from all the recruits as they hopped or shuffled to their new spots.

It had already been hours and showed no sign of slowing down. Felix’s lips were tinged a pale blue, face so pale his freckles stood out starkly against the skin. Jeongin’s limp was becoming more pronounced by the minute, he was still young and had not mastered the arts as well as the rest of them so he was easily injured in training. Seugmin wasn't holding up any better. They all switched partners and got into position to start another round of hell.

Jisung was in front of Minho now. He twirled his daggers arrogantly around his nimble fingers and grinned.

“Begin!” the instructor said with a clap of his hands. It’s a wonder the things didn’t just shatter on impact with how cold it was. Minho felt like his nose was about to snap off and his frozen eyeballs were at risk of rolling out of his skull. He was working enough to sweat but even that was freezing uncomfortably against his skin.

At the sound of the instructor’s voice Jisung moved.

Besides Minho, Cangbin and Jisung seemed to be the only others with some training. Seungmin was book smart for sure, his knowledge of geography would be an asset to any team and Felix was quick and agile, he was almost invisible in the snow and he could scale trees faster than any of them, Jeongin seemed to be a master at sniping, he knew his way around most of their guns and his accuracy was 99% and Hyunjin’s hand to hand combat was so far unmatched, even being so long limbed he was hard to hit and once he got his arms around you it was all over; but anyone with two eyes and half a brain could see that Minho Chagbin and Jisung were in a league of their own.

Jisung jumped and turned, aiming a kick at Minho’s head. Minho easily dodged the heel aimed at his face, but before he could straighten Jisung turned again this time with the knife. Minho moved back as Jisung slashed at him lunging forward but jumping back in time to avoid Minho’s jabs.

Minho crouched and swept his leg out catching Jisung’s shins. The smaller boy stumbled but had enough of his wits to jump clear over Minho’s head when he tried to kick him again. Minho tucked and rolled forward springing back to his feet in time to counter another attack. The blunt knife bit the flesh of his forearms but Minho didn’t even flinch as he swung a fist at Jisung.

The boy moved in time.

He was hard to hit but so was Minho the difference was that Minho would definitely get back up after a hit from Jisung, Jisung couldn’t tank a hit from Minho.

Jisung was light on his feet. His fighting resembled more of a dance than actual combat. He wasn’t as fast as Felix but he was fast enough to come close to besting Hyunjin. They parried, jumped blocked and lashed out. Minho was beginning to get dizzy from all the circling. The fight went on for a few moments more before Minho grabbed Jisung’s wrist and easily forced the smaller boy to his knees. At this point he would have driven his knee up into his attacker’s face or turned their arms till he heard their shoulders pop but this was just a sparring match.

Jisung twisted in Minho’s grip kicking his legs and rolling his shoulders but Minho kept him in place.

He applied pressure till Jisung called for a time out. He stood gingerly rubbing his aching joints and grinning.

They both knew there was no way Jisung could actually win that match in such close quarters. If they were outside Jisung would have been up a tree dropping bombs or sneaking around the snow covered ground to find a vantage point but hand to hand wasn’t his forte.

The sickening sound of fists colliding with other body parts echoed around them alongside a few grunts and a bit of panting.

“Holy fuck” Seungmin screeched secounds before Hyunjin’s foot collided with the side of his head. Seungmin stumbled backward and landed with a thud on the cold concrete. Felix abandoned his own fight with Changbin to run to the boy’s aid. The instructor sighed.

“We will end here” he said with a shake of his head.

“Felix, extra laps for abandoning you post, Seungmin put some ice on it” the instructor said over his shoulder as he locked the armoury at the back of the room.

Most of the small crew began to clear out, probably to find warmth and a meal before the evening’s reading lessons began. Minho grabbed one of the daggers off the arsenal table in the corner and pulled out one of the sparring dummies.

He rolled his neck and bounced lightly on the balls of his feet then started the run through his grandfather always used for warm ups.

“The sun is up,” Jisung said, dropping onto the floor behind Minho to stretch.

“So?” Minho grunted still sparing with the dummy.

“So… lets take the sleds out and hunt a bunny or something. We’ve been cooped up for days” Jisung’s voice was whiney but surprisingly it didn't bother Minho. In fact he liked Jisung better than the other guys here. He was funny and interesting he could be loud at times but for the most part he was quiet and observant.

He and Jisung spent a lot of time together since their rooms were connected. Sometimes they’d play checkers or cards while they talked late into the morning hours about mindless nonsense or books they've read. They bumped into each other while they got ready every morning in the bathroom and Minho actually enjoyed starting his day with the boy. 

Jisung wasn't a criminal or an orphan like most of the other boys there. In Fact he’d been Chan’s friend for as long as they could remember. His father was a medic in the force but he was stationed on a different land mass. Jisung decided to come here with Chan so his mother could port over to be with her husband. He got his seal as protection before they left, not that he needed it being friends with Chan.

“We have a reading lesson in two hours” Minho argued

“So we’ll be quick” Jisung climbed to his feet sensing his victory. Minho was restless and Jisung knew he wouldn't say no.

“Fine”

“Yes!” Jisung cheered and grabbed Minho’s arm to tug him up the stairs.

The bunker was a half hour sled ride from the edge of the forest but haers were easy to find.

Minho’s grandfather told him that a lot of animals went extinct because of the war and even more went extinct because of the cold. There were still a lot of mammals and warm blooded creatures that adapted well enough but reptiles and insects didn't quite make the cut although every so often Minho would stumble upon a roach and wonder why they were even made to begin with.

Then there was Land Mass 5 that used to be called australia. Where the rest of the world was frozen Land Mass five was like a desert. Vegetation was scarce but they bred a few animals and crops that the rest of the world simply couldn't and they ported snow and ice over when the days got too hot or dry. Minho loved them for their eggs, cabbages and watermelons. Kimchi had saved his life on a few occasions because it took so much longer to go bad, so when everything else was gone there was usually kimchi. And his grandmother for some unexplainable reason had loved eggs and rice so they had it often. Watermelon was the one thing he remembered from his childhood. His mother used to bring him slices from wherever she worked. When Minho thought about it he really didn't know what went wrong with his parents and he was too bitter to ask his grandparents about them. Some days… like today, he wished he did.

“What are you thinking about?” Jisung asked pulling Minho from his thoughts

“Nothing” he muttered

“Yeah… well you just missed two bunnies and a  small deer… so”

Minho sighed

“You can talk to me, you know… like… we’re friends,” Jisung said, putting a hand on Minho’s shoulder.

“I know we are” Minho almost smiled. Besides Beomgyu and Taehyun, Minho’s only friends had been his grandparents and for a wink in time Chan. these other boys were becoming the closest things he’s ever had. Especially Jisung.

“Then why don't i know anything about you?” he asked with a slight pout

“You know plenty”

“I know more about your grandparents than I know about you.” Jisung rolled his eyes and turned back to the frosty forest floor.

“There isn't much to tell. I'm just me” Minho shrugs

Jisung throws himself on the snow covered floor dramatically and looks up at Minho, squinting his eyes against the setting sun. The days were so short now it felt like they only got a few hours before the sun was setting again.

“You should dye your hair” Jisung said

“What's wrong with my hair?” Minho chuckled. They’d already had this conversation. Few people kept their hair dark. It was too easy to spot in the snow. Besides Minho only Jeongin had his hair coloured like a beacon

“You know exactly what’s wrong. Even the elite have light hair. Are you better than them?” Jisung asked

“Jungkook and Chan have dark hair” Minho protested

“Neither of them are on the field much”

Minho hummed then gave the same answer he always did when faced with this particular suggestion “I’ll think about it” He could see Jisung pouting in his peripherals, knowing he’d just been dismissed “now be quiet i think i see something”

Jisung huffs but stays quiet. 

They manage to catch a small deer, three bunnies and two pheasants. Enough for a few days but with eight boys training in the cold together it won't be long before they had to hunt again.

Chan hasn't let them go hungry but he also hasn't been paying attention to their supplies. He only stays with them a couple hours every few days and even then it’s just to get a progress report and further annoy Minho with questions he refused to answer. 

They have endless rice and oats but Seugmin had taken to growing small plants in his room in hopes that they’d get some vegetation soon and Minho usually took care of the meat. Changbin was able to get Yeonjun- a friend of his who worked for Jungkook- to port some canned fish and fruit over a few times but although he had a good relationship with him he didn't want to over step.

“We should talk to Chan soon” Jeongin muttered as he helped Minho skin the rabbits.

“If he decides to come see us” Hyunjin said bitterly. He grimaced as he watched Felix pluck feathers off the birds.

“Chan is busy, we’ll see more of him after our training,” Changbin defends. He, like Jisung, had been friends with Chan since childhood. He, unlike Jisung, didn't have a family to go back to. His seals were from the Bang residents rather than his estranged parents.

After cleaning and storing the meat, Minho made them dinner. They all sat around the living area with bowls of warm stew, chatting softly as they ate.

Felix was speaking more. They learned that he actually did know some of their language but he was more comfortable conversing in the form of english he was taught on landmass 5. Seugmin and Jisung also spoke English and Hyunjin seemed determined to learn. 

It was different. Different and strange getting to know the boys, coming to care for them. Minho had not known them very long but he was already willing to do what he had to to keep them safe. He may complain about it but he’d never let Jisung hunt alone, he’d never make Felix cook for all of them on his own, he’d help Jeongin with his training when needed and map the forest with Seungmin when he asked. They ate, slept and trained together and Minho would protect them with his life.

Jisung tapped gently on the bathroom door then let himself into Minho’s room.

“You're still awake?” He asked although he could see that Minho was very much awake, sitting on the floor with his back against the bed. Jisung sat next to him.

The silence was comfortable between them. A muted howl of wind from the snow storm outside rattled the thin sheet of steel that acted as a window over Minho’s bed. Jisung made himself comfortable under the blanket Minho had draped around his own shoulders. He grabbed onto Minho’s hand tracing the small scars and knicks over his palms and knuckles. It was oddly soothing and with Jisung’s warm body pressed against his side Minho felt more comfortable than he had in years.

“I promised my father that if things don't work out here I'd go back to my studies and become a doctor like him.” Jisung said suddenly.

Minho raised his eyebrows and looked down at him. The boy had his bottom lip caught between his teeth and his fingers tangled with Minho’s. “I never wanted to be a doctor. I'm too squeamish, but if this doesn't work out i’d do it” he continued in a rush

“Why are you telling me this?” Minho asked not unkindly but definitely confused

“Tell me something about yourself-”

“- this again… Jisu-”

“-Please,” Jisung turned to fully face him and pulled Minho’s hand into his lap “just give me something, anything. You're so closed up all the time”

Minho sighed when he again realised he couldn't deny Jisung a single thing.

“I'm an only child and my grandparents raised me,” Minho muttered. Jisung nodded eagerly hanging onto his every word. Heaving another sigh Minho continued.

“My life was okay for a while. I was young when my mother died and my father decided he didn't want to deal with me anymore” Minho shrugged and carried on. If he looked at Jisung he’d lose his nerve. Not that any of this was particularly painful for him, it's just not something he ever talked about. Who would he have spoken to about it anyway?

“My dad took me to work one day and I met Chan. we were maybe 12 or 13, too young understand but old enough to know… and we promised to stay friends but then my dad left me with my grandparents and i never saw Chan again”

Minho left out the part where he asked his grandparents for his father every day for a month and cried himself sick and hoarse when he realised he’d been abandoned. he left out asking afer Chan and his grandfather’s warnings to put him out of his mind but one look at Jisung’s face and Minho felt like he already filled in the blanks

“Chan looked for you for so long” Jisung chuckled “you know I had a huge crush on Chan but he was so hung up on you I thought id never get a chance, then one day he was suddenly interested” Jisung shrugged

“You and chan… were dating?” Minho asked and his eyes may have widened a bit, his careful mask slipping ever so slightly.

“Well not dating. We just… you know” Jisung made a rude gesture with his hands and Minho made a face that set the boy off in a fit of giggles

“Are you still.. A thing?”

Jisung shrugged again “when he’s here he’d sometimes look for me, other than that no. we’re friends first and he’s really focused on this project and I have to be good enough to stay by his side when the evaluations start”

Minho could read the implications

“You're one of the best here Ji, you wont get left behind” Minho whispered “You don't have to be a doctor if you don't want too”

Jisung grinned pulled Minho in for a tight hug and whispered “I hope not”

“I’ll help” Minho promised “whatever you need”

Jisung smiled again, Pressed a quick kiss to Minho’s cheek then used his shoulder to push himself up. 

“Go to bed Min” Jisung called as he walked back through the bathroom.

Minho pulled himself up and flicked off his lights before settling into bed. He closed his eyes and tried not to think about the heat in his cheeks and the swirl in his gut that hasn't gone away since Jisung said he’d been sleeping with Chan. 

He tried to ignore the fact that the swirling feeling wasn't directed at Jisung getting to have Chan.

It was the fact that Chan got to have Jisung.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... just like the fic, this one was based on I had no real expectations for how it would be received. they are both purely self-indulgent. nevertheless, this has crossed 100 hits and I'm happy someone is at least reading it lol.
> 
> **light smut in this chapter**

Chan shows up almost a week later looking harried. He flitted between excitedly bouncing around the practice room to anxiously gnawing on his lip. 

He stayed later than he usually does and waits around in the living area while the reading classes are going on but noting how distracted his students were the instructor reluctantly called it a day and allowed them to go up to meet with Chan.

“How come you're still here?” Hyunjin asked, pulling a few glasses from the counter to full with water. He passes them out and Changbin shoots him a dirty look when he takes his, but pulls up a stool to wait for Chan to speak.

“I want to come clean about something… I had to wait... to make sure we could do it and that I could trust you all with this” His hands were on the counter knuckles white as he clenched them into fists “..and I don't mean to threaten anyone but if what I say leaves this room you will all ‘ _ go missing’ _ ” Chan says with a dry chuckle. No one else found it funny. Chan could very well kill them all and get away with it.

Minho rolled his eyes and Chan caught it if the way he sheepishly sinks his teeth into his lip is any indicator.

“I would have chosen a team out of Namjoon’s recruits anyway but I’m glad he allowed me to come along and get you all myself”

“Why did you choose us anyway?” Jeongin asked

“Yeah, what did Seokjin look for” Seungmin asked

“Seokjin was just looking for priors or injuries that would be a problem in future. I was just looking for people I thought would work well together. We have all your records so Namjoon helped me get a taste for your personalities and interviews with the camp directors just confirmed it” Chan explained and everyone nodded

“Okay so what's so secret then?” Hyunjin asked, leaning back against the counter. His blonde hair was pulled up off his face and his thick dark brows were cocked arrogantly. Minho hid his small smile. The kid was pushy and bold on a good day. It didn't seem like Chan was about to phase him. Hyunjin did extra laps almost every day for mouthing off to the instructors.

Chan paid him no mind as he continued “The mission. The project I've been working on. We're going to have to infiltrate the north mountain war camp and extract a quantum looper-”

Changbin’s stool scraped back violently “Chan that's a crime!”

“And my father is president “

“So you can go around stealing illegal tech because your father is president?… are you crazy?” Hyunjin explodes

Minho had no idea what a quantum looper was, what he did know was that illegal tech was illegal for a reason.

“Listen, it's not just for me…” Chan argues “Think about all the worlds out there that we can go to. Worlds that aren't frozen, worlds that still have tropical islands and beaches and stars”

“Beaches and what?” Jeongin asked and Chan gave their youngest recruit a fond smile 

“we are all far too young to know what the world was like but… i've heard people talk about it. Jungkook himself told me about so many things. Sure their tech is a bit primitive but their world is still healthy, don't you want to see? To explore?” Chan ranted to the now silent boys. 

A few of them including Minho were considering it. They didn't have anything to lose and the reason they even lived there was because Chan wanted a team.

“I suppose I'll have to go missing then,” Changbin says storming off in the direction of his room.

“Binnie, don't be like that” Chan shouted at his retreating back but Changbin slammed his door and turned the lock with a resounding click.

He won't tell. He wont like it but they all know Changbin won't tell. He’s loyal to Chan no matter what. Minho can't even begin to count how many times Changbin had gotten into arguments with the others- mostly Hyunjin- for speaking badly about Chan.

“Chan, this is crazy… this is what you've been working on?” Jisuung asked approaching the kitchen “have you looked around you? The cupboards have been empty for weeks now, Minho hunts for us and Changbin begs Yeonjun to send us food and you've been off making fool hardy plans to steal shit that could- that could get us killed-” Jisung’s voice cracked and it broke Minho’s heart. 

He knew how sacred Jisung was to have to go back to his studies. He thought Chan was giving him a way out but he may be digging them into an even deeper hole. Chan looked around the kitchen as if he’d seen it for the first time.

The bags of rice were empty and the oats had finished yesterday morning. The remainder of the pheasant parts from dinner were in a corner of the ice box and Minho had already planned to make stew with it and the few carrots and potatoes they had left. Seugmin’s herbs were starting to grow but they were being plucked just as quickly to make tea. Just that morning Minho got caught in the last dregs of a snow storm in an attempt to hunt something small or maybe score a few berries to make into jelly as a treat for everyone. He had definitely caught a chill in that storm but ignoring it seemed best at the moment.

“I-I…” Chan stammered

“I thought we were supposed to be a team? Your team?” Jisung said. His shoulders slumping in defeat. Chan’s own massive shoulders also slumped as he whispered,

“Sungie” but Jisung wasn't about to be placated 

“I guess one good thing has come out of this…” his voice was low, cold and dead “if I go missing I can't exactly go back to my studies” Chan winces clearly aware of Jisung’s aversion to his studies.

With his words lingering in the air Jisung leaves too and the rest of the boys clear out quietly but not without puzzled looks on their faces. None of them protested so Minho thinks some of them are at least still considering it. Felix and Hyunjin were at the war camp for petty crimes anyway, it won't ruin their reputations or anything and if this did go south Minho was sure Mr Bang would cover this up faster than they could say global warming.

Minho sits in Changbin’s now empty seat and looks at Chan as he runs a hand through his wayward curls. He did that a lot, even back then. Sometimes Minho couldn't believe that it had only been a day. It felt like they’d known each other for years. Or … it used to. Now they felt miles apart.

“You gonna chew me out too?” He asked. Minho just looked at him with his usual bored expression. It was a face he practised as a child - although back then it was nowhere near as impressive- it was used to cover his feelings. Minho had learned many skills to cover up his large heart and gentle soul. A cover of indifference and coolness to make sure no one ever got close ever again. The boys here seemed the exception... And the boy he met 8 years ago.

Chan was a man now. His body had filled out with bulging muscles. His words were strong and sure. His confidence was at times overbearing but Minho could still see that spoiled little boy in him.

“I promise you I was thinking about all of us when I thought about this.” Chan tries to defend himself,but even he sounds unsure now “ think about how amazing it would be to explore other worlds. Just us. All 8 of us… there are places out there where the war never happened...”

“Chan” Minho began with a sigh “have you ever considered living in the present?” he asked

“What?”

“You're always making future plans… I remember when we were kids you’d always talk about what was gonna happen next, or tomorrow, or in a few years. You look to the future and leave things undone.” Minho continued “you say you thought about us and how great life would be for all of us in the future with this … this looper,” Minho gestured with his hands although he still didn't know what a looper was “but have you considered coming here and getting to know us right now... instead of getting progress reports from the instructors?”

“I do know them, Binnie, sungie...you…”

“You knew me Chan.” Minho counters “for one day eight years ago when my life was simple you knew me. Do you know why I never came back?”

“I looked for you…”

“I asked a question Chan… why didn't I come back? We promised, didn't we? Why would I break that promise?”

“I… I don't know” Chan admits

“Jisung knows” Minho says and he knows it's petty but he’s making a point “Jisung has been here getting to know me. He told me you looked for me but you found me and just added me to your collection of pretty things and left”

“You didn't want to speak to me. I'm here every week and you never speak to me”

“Because all you want to do is ask about what happened  _ then _ !” Minho snaps “and I keep saying  _ I _ don't want to talk about it!”

“Then what am I supposed to do if you won't answer my questions!” Chan shouted back clearly frustrated and Minho finally had it. He must have blocked out how entitled Chan was sometimes but now that he thought about it he can remember their conversations. He remembered wondering how Chan could have so much… so many things and still seem so unhappy. Now that he knew Changbin and Jisung had been around at that time he couldn't chalk it up to loneliness and under socialisation either. Chan was just a brat.

He wasn't a bad person but his sight was selective. He focused too much on what he did not have instead of what he did have. Minho should have known after Jisung confessed to their relationship. He couldn't imagine having a friend like Jisung- benefits or no- and not wanting to be by his side. All the boys here… if Chan would spend more than an hour with them and Changbin. Changbin who would fight for Chan…. Maybe even die for him.

Chan had no idea how much he had and suddenly it was too much for Minho. Chan had everything and Minho had absolutely nothing. He was building from scratch, again and again, it wasn't because he wanted to. He was constantly rooted up and made to start over and Chan had everything he could ever want and here he was wanting more.

“Fine. you want to know what happened?” Minho asked and he could already feel the burn in his chest. Talking to Jisung didn't feel like this. When he told Jisung he was in control but now he felt like a well inside of him was bursting

“ My father abandoned me... He took me to work that day so he’d have a shorter journey to my grandparents'' Minho could feel his heart racing in his chest. His vision blurred and his breaths rushed out of him. “My grandparents raised me and it took a month for me to come to the realisation that my dad left and I had no one but them. I couldn't look for you. You weren't supposed to exist and I was a kid. There was no way to find you so don't you dare ask why I never came back” Minho panted clenching his fists at his side. He felt dizzy and out of control. He hated it but he let it all out. He told Chan everything.

His grandfather was a jovial old man. 11/10 days he was just trying to have fun. His grandmother was the cold one. Cynical and aloof and Minho had taken a great, heaping deal of her traits. He wasn't used to losing it like this but he was desperate for Chan to see how much he had.

“when my grandparents died... I had no one...” Minho panted as he allowed the hurt to sink in after years of ignoring it. All he had for years were his grandparents and then they just died, one after the other. His grandfather died during a hunt and his grandmother during a raid. Both times Minho had no choice but to leave them behind. He had to keep moving. He was prepared for his grandparents' deaths but that didn't make it hurt any less.

“I’ll admit Chan... “ Minho sucked in a harsh breath as he felt the first few tears spill over onto his cheeks “I held you to that promise for a long time. In that first month, I cried about my father and I cried about you. I had no resources. I was waiting for  _ you _ to find  _ me _ and give me back the friend I lost”

Chan’s eyes were misted now too but Minho continued “and when they died, i'll admit that you were my first thought. I thought about your promises… but eight years is a long time. I thought you forgot me so I moved on”

“But _ I _ didn't,” Chan argued, “I looked Minho… believe me I checked everywhere.”

“Well, congratulations Chan. you fucking found me. Glad we had this chat” Minho stood

“Min, please... My feelings haven't changed… I still love you…” Chan whispered

“We were kids Chan… you don't even know what love is”

“Don't do this” Chan whined, looking close to stomping his foot. It almost made Minho smile. He could be such a brat.

“I’m still here Chan. when you can be bothered to stick around and actually get to know us and not go off of a childhood crush then we can talk… for now… just leave. Please. Sungie and I will have to hunt in the morning before our lessons'' with that Minho walked on unsteady legs back to his room leaving Chan gaping at him.

The moment he had his door closed Minho felt his knees buckle and he sank to the floor. He hated feeling like this. Like he spilled his soul and still wouldn't be heard or understood. There was nothing more frustrating than doing your best and still coming up short. Somewhere in the midst of his heartache and rage, Minho hoped Chan would consider what he said because all the bad parts aside, there was a reason Chan stood out in Minho’s memory even though it had been all those years ago.

The short pale and small boy with the unruly curls and dimpled grin. His heart was so big and he opened it up for Minho to climb in on the first day they met. He made sure Minho was taken care of and Minho had never felt so warm and fuzzy before. He couldn't remember his mother’s touch. Couldn't remember if it was warm or not but his father wasn't a warm person. Chan made him feel warm. That boy was excitable and had so many grand ideas, so many plans. He was a brat but it was often endearing. That little boy grew up to be Bang Chan, a leader, a visionary and yet… his sight was so narrow.

  
  


“Min?” Jisung called as he let himself into Minho’s room the next morning.

Minho didn't move. He felt drained. Like his very life source was seeping from his body into the mattress below him. He was supposed to make breakfast then go with Jisung to hunt but his body had other plans.

He’d been laying awkwardly on his arm for hours. Pins and needles prickled up and down his crushed arm and even then he still couldn't find the strength to move. He hadn't felt like this in years. He almost never caught illnesses and his body was used to the burn of working long hours but now he felt achy and sore and just  _ so _ tired.

“Min?” Jisung called again, stepping further into the room, “everyone else is awake… are you okay?”

Was he?

His arms and legs were weighted with exhaustion and his mind felt foggy and slow. A cool sensation brushed over his face and neck and Minho cracked his eyes open to see Jisung standing over him stroking the heated skin of his face.

“You’re sick” Jisung hissed

“Tired” Minho slurred

“Your skin feels warm, maybe you caught a chill. You shouldn't hunt today then.” Jisung hummed

“I have too… what will we eat?” but even as he said it Minho felt his lids sliding shut again.

“What happened yesterday?” Jisung asked running his fingers through Minho’s hair

Nothing out of the ordinary happened. They got up, Minho hunted, he got caught in the end of the storm, then he and Felix made breakfast, they went through their training and then spoke to Chan…

Chan.

Last night’s conversation rushed back to him and Jisung tutted when Minho winced against the instant headache it caused.

He wasn't sick

He was mentally drained. One conversation with Chan and his body just gave out on him.

“Nothing” Minho finally answered but as always Jisung seemed to be able to read every tick in Minho’s face.

“Chan is crazy… I love him… but he’s going to get us killed” Jisung whispered

“Can't argue with that” Minho grunts as he finally pushes himself to sit up. A wave of dizziness washes over him and he groans leaning forward to put his face in his hands.

“You should lay back down. I'll get Binnie to hunt with me and let the instructors know you aren't up to it today.”

Minho wanted to protest. But he truly felt awful and didn't make a sound when Jisung pushed him back onto the mattress.

The day went by quickly as Minho alternated between sleeping and staring up at the bunker’s concrete ceiling. Hyunjin and Felix checked on him between classes and Jeongin even napped with him for a while before the evening lessons and Seungmin brought several cups of herbal tea to him between classes. Although he hated what got him to this point Minho had to admit that he enjoyed the doting. He managed to shower later in the day and it made him feel marginally better.

The next time he woke up , it was to Jisung stroking his hair. Minho had unconsciously curled into the boy with his head on his lap , face pressed into his belly.

“Hey” Jisung called softly

Minho mumbled a greeting that was met by Jisungs’s sweet giggle

“Do you feel any better?” he asked hopefully

Minho stretched his cramped limbs and groaned as his back popped and his muscles flexed for the first time in hours. His head was still a little fuzzy but he didnt feel as tired anymore.

“Yeah… I guess”

“Hyunjin told me what happened.” Jisung admitted “He was hiding in the hall when you and Chan were talking”

Hyunjin the little sneak. Minho couldn't even be mad at him. He shrugged then sighed frustrated with the tears that were welling in his eyes again. He’d never been this emotional and he longed for one of his grandmother's sensible talks to set him right again.

“You know…” Jisung started reaching up to pull Minho’s shoulders around so they were facing each other on the bed “It’s okay to feel like this sometimes. No one will blame you”

“You all don't blame me… but it's an unforgiving world out there and i'm sure that whatever we’re up against isn't going to wait for me to finish breaking down before they kill me”

Jisung chuckled and leaned into Minho.

He fit so perfectly there against Minho’s chest. His shorter legs folded and half resting on Minho’s thighs, his head resting against Minho’s chest. His body felt warm and Minho itched to wrap his arms around Jisung and just never let him go.

Jisung must have felt the same because suddenly his arms were around Minho’s neck pulling him close till their lips were a breath apart.

“This okay?…” Jisung whispered

“Yeah” Minho breathed and he could feel his hot breath between them. Jisung moved closer till their chests were almost flush with each other.

“Min?”

“Mmm?” Minho hummed not daring to move. Jisung looked up into Minho’s eyes. 

Jisung wasn't the best looking boy out there. 

In their very own arsenal, they had Hyunjin Felix and Jeongin whose faces looked like a God instructed mix of carved rock and sculpted snow. Soft and pretty yet sharp and disarming, but there was something so completely endearing about Jisungs round full cheeks and crooked front teeth. The way his large round eyes crinkled when he smiled and seemed to sparkle when he was deep in thought. The way he always seemed up to no good yet would never hurt a fly. The way he hung onto Minho’s every word and shared in his dark dry humour.

Jisung was perfect.

“I get why Chan looked for you for so long,” Jisung whispered, closing the distance between them.

It started with a gentle touch of lips. Minho’s chapped ones against Jisungs soft moist ones. The kiss is slow and gentle despite Jisung’s wandering hands. Low, needy sounds escape the both of them as Jisung begins to wander further into Minho’s lap grinding and rubbing whatever he could reach. His fingers graze Minho’s hardening length and he gasps into Jisung’s mouth. His lips burn from Jisung’s ministrations, he’s sure they're red and swollen. “How far can I go with this?” Jisung whispered. His low voice was so full of lust it made Minho almost delirious 

“as far as you need to” he answered. As if a switch had been flipped the kiss turns frantic. Deep and hot, full of longing, hands no longer wandering but purposeful as Jisung works the buttons on Minho’s cargo pants till his dick springs free then he works on his own.

He breaks from the kiss looking Minho in the eyes, lids half massed

“Still okay?” Jisung asked

Minho let out a strangled “yeah” and Jisung’s smile turned wicked as he passed a broad flat tongue across his palm, It was so fast Minho didn’t even realise Jisung was now holding both their solid dicks in his one- far too small- hand. Jisung’s hands were smaller than Minho’s but they were so perfect against Minho’s leaking member. 

Jisung’s pace was achingly slow and Minho could only buck up and feel Jisung’s cock slide against his, adding to his pleasure and making him want to cry out. Minho was so close already. He reached a hand over Jisung’s from the opposite side completing the space for them to thrust into. They both sped up the pace and before long Minho was panting and moaning out Jisung’s name “fuck keep going, shit k-keep going fuck Sungie gonna c-cum ah”  Minho hissed as Jisung passed his thumb over his slit collecting his precum to further ease their slide.

“Fuck… Sungie.. Fuck” Minho gasped. 

Jisung didn't answer, only speeding up his hand and whining into Minho’s shoulder where he’d begun pressing hot kisses. His mouth travelled over his shoulders along his collar bones and down to Minho’s clothed nipples.

Minho shuddered as Jisund bit down on one pebbled bud.

Jisung whined as his thrust became sloppy “Min… fuck fuck fuck.. I'm… im .. fuck” was all he was able to stutter out before hot white ropes began spurting from his tip. He groaned at the sensitivity as Minho continued to chase his own release.

Jisung tangled his fingers into Minho’s hair and pulled him in for a searing kiss just as Minho reached his high. He groaned and Jisung swallowed the sounds as he kissed him.

Jisung pulled back and stared open-mouthed as Miho came down from whatever cloud his orgasm had sent him too. He leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of Minho’s mouth.

“Holy shit… you're beautiful” Jisung panted, pressing his forehead against Minho’s

Minho took a bit longer to answer. He pulled Jisung in again for another soft kiss and said “ I'm pretty sure Hyunjin was outside the door.”

Jisung laughed.


	4. Chapter 4

“So… when are you heading back?” Taehyung’s voice rumbled into the stillness of the night.

It was darker than Chan had seen it in weeks. All three moons were hidden behind a massive cloud that was sure to bring in an early morning storm. 

“Tonight” Chan grunted. He didn't miss the look Taehyung and Jimin shared before they looked back through their scopes.

"are they coming around?" Jimin asked cautiously as he typed something into the screen of his laptop. Chan hears something beep in his ear and Jungkook hums on the other end of the comms.

"Well they have too." Jungkook’s voice crackles over the comms "Chan is in charge of them" 

Jimin rolls his eyes “You and Jungkook are brats alike” he sighs.

"They aren't animals, they can make choices too," Taehyung argues. 

Chan had shared some of the issues with the elite team. He still trained with Namjoon sometimes and they took him on what Hoseok called ‘field trips’ when they had safer missions like this simple infiltration and extraction.

He told them about Minho too. About that day eight years ago and why he was so excited when Namjoon mentioned they had him. He could not tell them about his- still very illigal- plans to steal the looper and although Chan knew they weren't buying his half story about Changbin not agreeing with their training conditions none of them had questioned him when he told them no one wanted to be a part of his project. 

"yeah. It's getting there… Slowly” Chan answered, turning his attention to his own scope. On the adjacent rooftop he could just barely see Hoseok’s orange head as he rifled through the fuse box. He couldn't disarm the alarms or turn off the lights. Those things would definitely alert the target to their presents, but he could attach a wireless transmitter to the box so Jungkook had access to the camera feeds.

There was a bit more rummaging through the coms then Hoseok let out a triumphant but still very quiet “yes!”

"good job now get out before you set off a pressure sensor" Jungkook called. 

Chan saw Hoseok stand , fiddle with the device on his wrist then there was a muted sound like a far away train before he was next to them.

“Could you see me?” He asked excitedly

“Baerly” Jimin answered and Hoseok beamed at them. Stealth wasn't his thing but he loved to try when he could.

He stumbled a little as he came toward their knook near the edge of the roof.

Jelly legs

An unfortunate side effect of Jungkook’s portable port device.

It was still in the early stages but it worked. Namjoon and especially Yoongi were still refusing to use it. In fact the older boys avoided porting stations too if they could. They preferred vehicles more often than not. Seokjin indulged sometimes but still avoided it if he could.

Only a few years between them yet Chan could see the difference in those born before the war and after. Seokjin, Yoongi, Hoseok and Namjoon were old enough to remember the entire thing. Old enough to fight in it despite only being teens at the time.

The build up of the war is what eventually deteriorated the earth's atmosphere, the war itself only lasted a few months, but the split of nations was a gradual thing that took years to stablaise.

Like many others his age, Chan was mostly raised in underground bunkers till the stabilization was complete. He was already ten years old before he had his first memory of even seeing the sun.

Yoongi was one of the first elite that Chan had met because his father was so impressed by him, then Namjoon, Seokjin and Hoseok for a few years before Jungkook, Jimin and Taehyung came. 

Chan thought back to how young his own team was. Young… but not naive. Jeongin was their youngest but already so smart and skilled. The instructors are very impressed with him. 

Minho’s words didn't go unheeded. Chan had been making an attempt to spend more time with them and not rely on information from the trainers.

It took a few days for Changbin to come back around and a few more for Hyunjin to stop giving him the evil eye but everyone else was surprisingly welcoming. 

Even Minho…

Chan was starting to think the boy would hate him forever but the weeks after their talk he seemed to be glowing. He seemed happier than Chan had seen him in a long time. 

Minho's smile was like light. 

Chan could stare at his sparkling eyes and pretty lips for hours, and the other boys loved him that much was clear. Even if he wasn't smiling or laughing they never hesitated to go to him with a problem. Chan wanted that with him. He wanted the level of familiarity everyone else seemed to have with Minho.

He’d do anything to see Minho smile at him the way he smiled at the others. Sweet and undeniably endeared by anything they did. Chan wishes he thought to stay at the base sooner so he could have that… with all of them.

He had gotten them more food. He went on hunts, Sparred with them and even though he already knew all the material he went to their reading lessons.

Seungmin was brilliant. Chan was sure Namjoon would love him, Felix and Jeongin’s stealth would go over great with Yoongi and Hyunjin’s sass would fit right in with Taehyung and Jimin’s.

He was realising from spending more time with them that he’d been right to bring them together. He could tell how close they’d all gotten over the few months and he was happy that they had each other even if he had been absent for a while.

“He’s in,” Hoseok said beside them and Chan looked over to see the shadow of Yoongi’s form slip into one of the upstairs windows. They held their breaths for a beat. That’s how long it would be before an alarm was sounded but when nothing happened Taehyung grinned large and toothy.

Yoongi had gotten in.

“Let's get to the transport. You know Yoongi isn't gonna port over here” Jimin said, already picking himself up and dusting the powdery snow off his pants.

“Gonna be a storm in the morning” Taehyung commented looking up at the clouds. Jimin hummed seemingly miles away.

Chan figured they were thinking about Yoongi’s accident a few months ago. Chan never got the full story but he knew that Yoongi had gone on a dangerous mission and went missing for a while. This was the very same building he had infiltrated that time.

Movement on the building wall caught Chan's attention and he looked over to see Yoongi slipping back through the window and down the side of the wall.

He was out.

“Let’s move. He’ll be pissed if we make him wait” Hoseok said bounding away toward the cables.

Chan was sure he saw a relieved smile grace his lips.

  
  


He got back to the bunker late. All the lights were already off and Seungmin was passed out in the living room under a pile of hand made maps. 

Chan chuckled and gathered up the boy in his arms and carried him to his room before heading back to the kitchen. 

As expected Minho had left out a bowl of stew and some rice for him. 

Since Chan had started coming around more Minho had taken to mothering him as much as the other boys. He knew if he didn't eat the stew there would be hell to pay in the morning which is why he turned down Jungkook's invitation to share the rice balls he had stolen from Seokjin. Chan ate washed up- there would be hell to pay if he didnt do that too- and walked down the hall. 

He lingered near Minho's door, tempted as he usually was to just go in. 

It was  _ his _ bunker after all. He had every right too and this was his team, if he felt the need to have a conversation he should be able to have one. Minho just drove him so crazy sometimes with his infuriating smirks and knowing head tilts. And he still won't sit to have a conversation. 

Chan knew Minho cared about him, it was obvious in his actions but he also did all he could to avoid him when Chan just needed to talk about this.

Chan was always the type to just get things off his chest as they arose. Minho on the other hand seemed to be the type to ignore things till they completely tore him down.

_ “It seems, Christopher, that you and i have completely different life philosophies” _

Even back then Minho seemed so untouchable.

Was it selfish to wake him up just to talk? Chan was sure he’d listen. That was just the way Minho was. He tried to listen and understand everything. Chan could just knock and go in and Minho would sit up and listen to him.

He just wanted to talk to him. Just the two of them. Just this once.

Chan sighed and carried on to his own room. This was just the behaviour Jimin told him people didn't like. He was old enough to stop being such a child about these things. Taehyung was right. They weren't animals and Chan couldn't force them to be here but he hoped they saw reason enough to go on this mission with him. Hoped they saw how great it would be to have a machine like the looper at their disposal. If nothing else he hoped he formed ties enough for them to be loyal to him the way the elite were to his father. Enough for them to not go to report him for this fool errand. Currently the looper was illegal because pirates used them to pillage other worlds. 

Supplies that couldn't be made or grown here were easy to find in other time spaces.

Chan wasn't going to pillage. He just wanted to explore. To learn. To see...

Chan had a thirst for knowledge that this world no longer quenched. He wanted more and he wanted his team with him. He wanted Minho with him.

Chan was learning quickly that Minho wasn't the same quirky little boy he knew. He was no longer all smiles and sass but that just made him even more intriguing. Like a puzzle Chan had to put together.

He had always been a labyrinth now he was a maze. 

_ Chan made himself comfortable near the window with his blanket still tucked around his shoulders and a cup of coffee warming his palms. He liked to sit there during the mornings to watch his father’s workers hustle through the yard. Porting was a newer form of transport so back then almost everyone drove and Chan liked to see the different kinds of vehicles. He’d only ever been in one once. He’d been reading a lot of books on them but with the rise in ports they would be obsolete soon enough. For now he had his sled. He built it himself. Chan was good with his hands. He enjoyed building things and it was usually just a matter of telling one of the workers to get the materials. _

_ His tutors didn't mind that he spent so much time in the garage because he was already ahead of all his reading lessons. All except his etiquette training which was something his mother wanted him to do. Chan didn't like it. In a world like this he didnt think sitting with his back straight or saying please and thank you would help anything. Besides… His father was a very powerful man so Chan could do what he wanted. _

_ There was a rumble in the distance and a car he’d grown familiar with entered the yard. _

_ It was a sleek little car with caterpillar tyres instead of regular wheels. The body was made of shining silver metal and the engine was semi exposed at the top of the hood with cylindrical exhaust pipes on the sides. _

_ Chan was in love with that car but he didn't like the man who drove it. _

_ Mr Lee was a strategist. At Least that's what he said he was. Chan didn't exactly know what a strategist was, all he knew was that Mr. Lee came early in the morning and stayed late into the night. _

_ Today when Mr Lee stepped out of his car there was a little bundle of jackets and scarves next to him. _

_ A boy with bone straight black hair and a cute little face. _

_ Chan didn't have any lessons to attend so, curious about the boy, he ventured down the stairs to meet Mr Lee at the door. _

_ Mr Lee’s smiles were always charming but it never made his face look any brighter. There was something dead about the smile. The boy next to him though had a beautiful smile that made his brown almond shaped eyes twinkle. His face was pink from the cold and his two front teeth stuck out a little but he was the most beautiful thing Chan had ever seen. _

_ Mr Lee didn't bother with more pleasantries before he gave the boy a stern look and stalked off to his meeting room. _

_ “Who are you?” Chan demanded _

_ “That's not how you do it” The boy replied in a sing-song voice. It was pitched higher than Chan expected but it was sweet and polite even if the words were rude. _

_ “I asked you a question,” Chan stomped his foot. Usually a sure way to get people to do what he wanted, however, the boy didn't seem phased. _

_ “Yeah… I know” the boy said shrugging off his heavy padded jacket and raising his severe eyebrows at Chan. They were thick but well shaped and slanted angrily over his twinkling eyes. It almost made him look upset but the smile on his lips hinted at mischief  _

_ “aren't you going to offer to take my coat?” he asked. _

_ “We have people for that “ Chan answered _

_ The boy looked around in puzzlement. The foyer was empty apart from them. He raised his eyebrows at Chan again then finished taking off his coat. _

_ “Well they aren't here now” he said and tossed the jacket at Chan. Without thinking Chan caught it then looked on as the boy walked further into the house trailing snowy puddles behind hims , peering up at the art on the walls , running his short fingers against the marble accents and humming lightly. _

_ “You aren't going to tell me your name then?” Chan folded the jacket over his arm and followed the peculiar boy. _

_ “Sure I will, but the polite thing to do when you meet someone is introduce yourself  _ then  _ ask for a name.” he said then demonstrated by reaching out his hand. _

_ Chan took it and the boy shook it firmly, introducing himself “Lee Minho” he said _

_ “Uh.. Bang… Christopher “ Chan said _

_ Minho wrinkled his adorable nose “that's a mouth full. Why is your name so long?” _

_ “Because I was born in land mass 5 and those are the kind of names we have there” _

_ Minho tapped a short finger on his chin a few times then his face lit up “so do you have a Land mass three name?” he asked “you can have two” _

_ “ my father calls me Chan sometimes but that's not my name” Chan sighed _

_ “Well I'm not going to spend the day trying to pronounce Chr-christ- chris-...” Minho wrinkled his nose again. _

_ “Christopher isn't that hard” _

_ “Neither is Chan” Minho shrugged and walked further into the house _

_ “So why are you here Minho?” Chan was irritated with himself for following the kid but he was just so… so different. _

_ Jisung and Changbin were fine but Chan had known them forever. There was nothing to learn. This boy… Minho was shiny and new _

_ “My dad is taking me out tonight after work so I have to hang around till then” he said with a bored sigh. _

_ “Oh…” Chan answered lamely _

_ Minho came to a stop on the stairs and dropped to sit on it _

_ “ don't sit there someone will trip over you” _

_ “And where do you suggest I sit?” _

_ “Come on” Chan rolled his eyes and lead Minho up the rest of stairs to his bedroom _

_ It was pretty large because he begged his father to add on a workshop. _

_ There was a foldable wall that was designed to keep sound in so Chan wouldn't wake the house when he worked on his projects. On the bench was the latest prototype for a sled compass. He was hoping to make it work like a GPS but so far it still only pointed north. On the floor was his old sled that he had dismantled earlier in the week to get wires for the new sled. _

_ There were blueprints and instructional books tossed over his desk and bed. His now cold coffee from that morning sat next to his discarded blanket and his grease stained overalls were still on the floor where he left them last night. _

_ Chan blushed. He should have thought to tidy up before bringing the boy up there. _

_ “You built a sled?” he asked, walking slowly to the dismantled heap of metal. _

_ “Yeah I like building things. When I grow up i'm gonna make a lot of tech stuff like the porting stations” _

_ Minho hummed and looked over at the abandoned blueprints and sketch books “and what about these?” _

_ “Oh those? Those are old” _

_ “But are you gonna finish them?” he asked “you shouldn't just abandon things because you saw something new” this time his eyes were on the coffee by the window like he knew Chan had done just that this very morning. _

_ Chan was sure the boy was his age. Twelve maybe thirteen but he seemed mature when he spoke like that. Like he had a well of wisdom beyond his years. _

_ “And what about you?” Chan asked. Minho hopped onto Chan’s bed and kicked off his boots so he could fold his legs underneath himself. _

_ “Me? I don't do much. I'm just trying to make it till tomorrow” _

_ “What's happening tomorrow?” Chan asked, hating that he couldn't seem to figure out the significance _

_ “Tomorrow? We won't know till we get there will we?” He answered cripticly, still with that playful smile on his lips. _

_ “I guess not… but you can still plan” _

_ Minho just smiled at him “It seems, Christopher, that you and i have completely different life philosophies” _

_ Chan spent the day with Minho. They talked about so many things that Chan couldn't remember it all and yet he felt like each and every new topic was meaningful. He felt himself blushing when they sat close to have lunch and smiling when Minho took his hand as they ran through the yard and he felt warm when Minho wrapped his arms around him when they took a ride on Chan’s sled. _

_ He didn't know what came over him when he told Minho he loved him. All he knew was that when he went to bed that night all he could think about was the boy and what they could do together when he came back. He stayed up all night with a ridiculous smile on his face and rushed to the window the next morning when he heard Mr Lee’s car in the distance. He ran down the stairs to greet Minho at the door but he wasn't there. _

_ “Where’s Minho?” Chan asked _

_ “Go to your studies Christopher” Mr Lee replied _

_ “I asked you a question!” Chan snapped _

_ Mr Lee looked down his long nose at him. His lips tilted and his eyes sparkled. He looked nothing like Minho but the mischievous light in his twinkling eyes resembled his son’s. _

_ “You will learn soon enough, Christopher, that life is cruel and you could stomp your little feet and scream till you're blue in the face all you want. No one owes you a thing” Mr Lee walked off leaving a red faced Chan in his wake  _

_ “Also,” He called over his shoulder “You won't be seeing my son again” with that Mr Lee left. _

_ And he was right. No matter how much Chan screamed and cried and when he was older searched and demanded.  _

_ He never found that boy again. _

_ Instead he found this Minho. _


	5. Chapter 5

The branch under Minho’s boots bowed under his excess weight and creaked loudly as he shifted.Gritting his teeth he reached up and hoisted himself onto a higher branch. It groaned just as loudly. Minho was far too heavy for this. He could climb the trees just fine but staying hidden in them could become a problem if the branches broke.

Across from him he could see Felix and Jisung scrambling to higher branches as well and on the ground Jeongin, Hyunjin and Seungmin were crammed behind a few rocks. Minho had no idea where Chan and Changbin were.

It was a few months later when Chan brought up the idea of the quantum looper again. He gained similar results to the last time but because they all knew Chan better now, everyone was reluctant to voice their complaints. Even Changbin wasn't as vocal about it.

“Look… we don't have to use it, but we should atleast get it out of their hands” Chan argued

“I think we should call the elite. Namjoon will know what to do” Seungmin suggested

“Yeah and I’m sure if we asked Jungkook he could port us to the nearest station so we don't have to hike the entire way” Felix pipped in.

“I-we cant” Chan stuttered

“Why not?” Jisung asked “ The elite already know about the project right?… why wouldn't they help?”

Before he even responded Minho could see the answer written all over Chan's reddening face.

“You fucking idiot” Minho hissed “You didnt even tell them”

“You were gonna take us on an illegal project without backup?” Hyunjin all but screeched

“It’s not like that… I was gonna tell them but… but you know”

“But you wanted to make sure the machine was off radar in case you do decide to use it” Minho finished for him. 

Changbin looked unimpressed. “Chan-”

“I said I won't use it!” He snapped “but it's an unregistered looper and I rather  _ we _ have it than them. We can't tell the elite they’ll just tell my father and we’ll all be in trouble”

That’s what brought the severity of it into perspective for Minho. He never felt like a prisoner here with Chan and the other guys but isn't that what he was? He certainly wasn't free, and now actions that were not even his own could land him in more trouble than he was prepared for.

They were a team and like it or not Bang Chan was their leader.

They would end up doing what he said anyway.

It took a bit more arguing and pleading before Seungmin brought out the maps of the mountain paths to find the safest way to the camp, but without recon they were going in blind. Chan knew a little about how they kept track of the prisoners. Besides their chips they had implants and collars that can incasipate the prisoners if they ventured past the wall. They didn't, however, have any way to keep the soldiers stationed there cowled and rumour had it that everyone who got stationed there went just a little mad.

The North mountain War camp was home to criminals. Murderers, killers, psychopaths. There wasn't a petty thief or burglar among them. These people killed for sport.

“If we are caught… if any of us get caught we are dead. They won't take prisoners.” Hyunjin says.

“Then we better not get caught then” Chan whispers.

Easier said than done.

Minho adjusts his heat signature goggles on his face, willing the lens to stop fogging up from the hot breath escaping his mask. He can see Changbin and Chan now. They managed to find a hole near the bottom of a tree. It will do for now but tree wells were dangerous long term.

“Incoming” Felix’s voice crackles through the comms and Minho has only a second to lean back against the trunk before a sleigh comes crashing through the trees.Behind it… sleds. At least twenty of them. Because of their lack of recon they had no way to know if these paths were well used or not.The sleds didn't stop or even slow down but Minho doesn't trust for a moment that someone hasn't seen at least one of them.

Through the comms he can hear jeongin adjusting his handheld radio. He should be able to tap into the signal if the camp is using an unsecure wave.

“Nothing” he sighed in frustration after a few moments fiddling.

“We need to split up” Hyunjin says

He was right. It would be harder for them to be spotted than if they continued to move in this group of 8.

“Felix and jisung can keep to the trees. The last few trees should bring you right up to the camp wall so be careful” Seungmin says “Innie, stay with me. We are definitely less tactical so we should hang back”

“I'll take Binnie and we’ll head up front” Hyunjin suggests and Minho lets out a heavy breath because that leaves him with Chan.

He and Chan were working past their earlier awkwardness and Minho could say without a doubt that he cared for him just as much as he did the other boys. They were friends even. It was just that Chan continued to insist on having these annoying conversations with him. He brought it up in almost every conversation and always at the most awkward times. Minho tried not to show a bad face especially with the other boys around but Chan was testing his patience.

_ “Why are you so indifferent toward me?” Chan had asked _

_ “Am I?” Minho had rolled his eyes knowing exactly where the conversation was headed _

_ “Yeah, you’re friendly with everyone else and you're… just... not with me” _

_ “We are friends Chan” _

_ “Then why do you treat me differently? Why can Jeongin come sleep on your bed and Jisung can play in your hair and Hyunjin can joke with you-” _

_ “You know you could do that too right? I never said you couldn't” _

_ “But you’d probably snap at me” _

_ “Don't bother me and i won't snap. The kids don't come to me with unnecessary conversations about the past Chan, and you can't seem to move past that, so unless you're ready to start over right here and now i don't have much to say to you” _

Minho didn't want to talk about what happened all those years ago. He’d already explained himself more times than he wanted too and Chan continued to ignore all reason.

Minho waits till he sees the others clear out before he jumps out of the tree. Chan’s face is covered by his mask and goggles but Minho knows his face is sheepish under there by the tilt in his eyebrows.

"you and me huh?" Chan chuckles 

"this is hardly the place to talk Chan" 

"I wasn't going to" he whines

“Let's just hurry up,” Minho says and starts off through the spaces in the trees.

Hyunjin and Changbin are walking up the actual path and Seugmin being the only one with a map of the area took Jeongin along a rock path further from the clearing. Up ahead Minho can just make out a few branches bending and swaying as Felix and Jisung advance. The shaking is purposeful. Felix and Jisung could get to the wall without being seen or heard from with no problem but because of their utter lack of planning and resources they need a way to keep track of each other without talking.

The crunch of snow, the shaking of frozen leaves and the constant stream of “oh man” from Seungmin as he trips over roots, holes and his own feet accompanies them till they get to the wall.

Felix and Jisung jump down from the trees and they all gather in the shadows.

The wall is an easy twenty feet. Solid, impenetrable and much too smooth to scale.

“So… does anyone know how to get in?” Hyunjin asks. His eyebrows are raised over his goggles as he looks around then finally settles his gaze on Chan.

“Tunnels” Chan says and Seugmin’s face lights up.

“Yes… shit!” he says as he pushes the buttons on his wrist.

Minho keeps an eye out as they figure it out.

Two of the moons are visible tonight and the skies are much clearer than it usually is. They may have a warmer day coming or one of the coldest yet and he hopes they can atleast get to a porting station to go back to the bunker. Better to have Jungkook port them over and beg forgiveness than get caught out there. It's already pitch black out, the lights from the camp only just give them a semblance of a view. There’s the soft sound of … something in the distance that has Minho on his guad. It sounds like snow crunching… or maybe a branch creaking… maybe both.

Jisung pulls out his gun and turns his eyes to the trees seconds before Minho sees the flash of red through his goggles.

“Chan. We have company” Jisung whispers “and a lot of it.” he inches back toward Minho, half back to back with him, half hidden behind him.

Minho could see the red appearing through his goggles now. Eight heat signatures surrounding them emerging from the snow and the trees.

It should be a fair fight -Eight of them and eight hostels- but Minho knew that Jeongin and Sseugmin aren't suited for combat - they shouldn't even be here- and Felix works better with an advantage. Right now the hostels have the upper hand.

One of them jumps from the trees and lands like a cat right in front of them.

He’s tall, maybe around Hyunjin’s height and just as sevelte. He isn't wearing as much padding as Minho imagined one should be wearing this high in the mountains but his entire face was covered all the way to his neck and his black hair fell over his forehead in messy waves. He looked around then his eyes landed on Chan.

Even through his mask and goggles Chan was always unmistakable. There was something about the way he stood and moved, a certain ease and power rooted deep in him- it could just as easily be the unruly black curls on his head. Very few people had the luxury of styling their hair with curls, fewer still had the luxury of being born with them.

With a cock of his head the newcomer raised his hand in a signal and the others came forward.

They were dressed similarly. In jumpsuits, scarves and face masks. Two men over six feet brought up the rear as the smallest of them all approached Chan.

“Well if it isn't Christopher Bang” he said then ripped his mask off revealing a small face with a pointed little nose, broad mouth and wide eyes.

“Hongjoong?” Chan responded. It sounded like relief in his voice and it was confirmed when the two men shared a brief , back thumping hug.

“I wondered where you and the guys ran off too,” Chan said nodding at the other boys.

“We had to get out of town after Woo’s stunt with Yeonjun” Hongjoong said sending a glear over at one of the shadowy figures.Changbin stiffened and looked around, eyes landing on a short boy with dark hair scraped up into a ponytail. The boy waved tentatively. Changbin, as ever, looked unimpressed

“so pray tell what the fuck the likes of you is doing running around the north mountain this close to hunting time” Hongjoong asked

Hunting time. Of course it was their luck that the night they decide to steal illegal tech from a known violent war camp they get cornered by a crew of boys who Chan knew but had also had an ‘ _ incident _ with Yeonjun and it was all done around hunting time. Minho almost groaned out loud.

“We came for the looper Joong”

It couldn't be that easy could it?

Minho saw Felix edging away back toward the trees where he was comfortable but he also saw the lean man from earlier inching toward them. Minho held out a hand in Felix’s direction to stop him from moving. Two of the other shadows inched forward as well.

Sensing the shift in the air Hongjoong spoke up.

“I can get you that. But for something like this I'll have to mark it. You're too big for us to just do a favour and not get something in return”

“I accept” Chan said easily

“No.. hold on a second'' Changbin spoke up “Chan… i've heard about Wooyoung from Yeonjun and I’m telling you this is a bad idea. This lot is trouble”

“Well you don't have much of a choice right now. Hunting party will be on their way back at any moment and we are the only ones who can get you through the tunnels to the looper and down the mountain safely” Hongjoong countered

They didn't have much time to consider it. Minho could already hear the distinct whirring sound of the sleds coming back uphill. Much too short for a hunt so that means they had definitely been spotted. Hongjoong’s guys heard it too.

“Seonghwa” Hongjoong hissed and the willowy man in front of them walked toward the wall, reached down into the snow and opened a hatch.

“Take it or leave it Bang” Hongjoong said but his eyes were pleading. He either cared about Chan or really needed that marker either way, Minho breathed a little easier knowing that Hoongjoong could be trusted. For now.

Changbin finally loosened his grip on Chan’s arm and Chan signaled to the rest of them to get in.

The slim man - Seonghwa- Jumped down first then Chan. One by one they all got into the tunnel till all sixteen of them were packed in like sardines.

Minho reached up to change his goggle settings from heat to night vision.

“Do not lose the person next to you we have to be quick” Hongjoong said “Mingi is up front follow the reflectors on his bag, San is at the rear if you're behind him you're too far behind” He pointed at the man behind them who raised his hand to let everyone know that he was San, then the tall man infront who would be MIngi.

“There's a Y up ahead Mingi will lead you to the Looper once in the room you're on your own. He will give you three minutes to get back to the tunnel, anything over three minutes you're on your own. Once we rendezvous again we’ll escort you to the porting station”

There were a few nods and ‘yes sirs’ when Hongjoong was done giving his instructions.

“Move out” he said and their party began their journey through the tunnels.

Jeongin was next to Minho. He was wearing his goggles but still seemed to trip over every rock in their path. He gripped tightly to Minho’s arm and Minhohe tried his best to steady the boy as they went.

Chan was behind them with Felix. Thankfully he knew that this wasn't the time to initiate conversation.

It wasn't long before they reached the Y in the tunnels.

“Split off ...Chan. pick three to go with Mingi and Yunho” Hongjoong instructed “ the tunnels ahead are too narrow for more than a few at a time.”

Minho knew before Chan spoke that it would be the two of them and one more so he walked ahead next to Mingi without being asked. “Hyunjin, come with us,” Chan said, hurrying to keep up as they broke off to go down the smaller tunnel. This one was damp and even colder than the last one if that was possible. The distant sounds of water leaking echoed off the stone walls and Mingi or Yunho seemed to be humming as they went. It took a few minutes but Mingi finally stopped up ahead and climbed up a ladder. At the top was a small hatch that he peeked through for a moment before throwing it open.

“Quick” he hissed and Hyunjin scampered up the ladder with Minho on his heels.

Warmth hit them as soon as they stepped into the room and it wasnt so much a room as it was a warehouse. Shelves and rows of storage space took up every wall and created long ilse for them to walk down. 

“Shit” Hyunjin whispered. His mouth was open in awe. The  _ room _ didn't only hold one looper. It held three.

After confessing to Seungmin that he didn't know what a looper was, Minho was given a flash drive with all the outlawed tech and descriptions to go over. He realised that the hunk of metal in Jungkook’s lab that was hooked up to the laptops was an older model of these sleek devices . Not only were there loopers here but also a few mecha suits, modified sleds , plasma guns, heat seeking grenades and more. On the tables were endless vials of liquids Minho could only suspect were drugs or poisons. There were suits like the ones Hongjoong and his team were wearing and boots with spikes and blades covering its surface. Among them were regular military issued fatigues and helmets, scraps and parts for sleds and trucks. Tanks of gas and hunting supplies.

“Holy fucking shit” Hyunjin whispered as his fingers gohsted over one of the suits.

“Let's just get the looper and get out. Don't touch anything else” Chan snapped.

“Should have chosen Seungmin or Changbin to do this. What happens if the looper is connected?” Hyunjin asked as they examined the one nearest to them.

Like Jungkook’s they were hooked up to laptops and codes flashed across the screen notifying them of different issues with different time spaces.

“Take the laptop too. Try not to shut it down but see if you can get the screen to sleep.

Hyunjin did and it took both Chan and Minho to move the machine itself.

It was about five feet all around and sort of a sphere shape. It would be a hassle to move but they had to do it quickly.

“Ready?” Chan grunted and they lifted the machine with Hyunjin walking backward to keep the laptop connected. They made it back to the hatch and lowered the looper through first to Yunho and Mingi before sending Hyunjin with the laptop then crawling through the hatch themselves.

“That was quick.” Chan said

“Too quick,” Minho agreed. He knew they’d been seen when they were on their way up there. Someone _ must _ have raised an alarm.

“Chan. we can't take this to the base” Minho said

“What… why?”

“Trust me. Take it to Jungkook or even Yeonjun but if we take it to the base we're done.”

“You think they're gonna track it?”

“I think they're tracking it as we speak. I think they saw us. They're playing with us” 

“He’s right. We saw you all coming up too. Someone else must have seen you” Mingi chimed in.

“Shit… okay, we’ll call Jungkook from the porting station” Chan agrees.

Hongjoong gets them back down the hill in record time using a completely different route to the one they came up on. They loaded up the sleds they left at the bottom of the hill and went the short distance to the porting station.

“Don't be a stranger Chan” Hongjoong called over his shoulder as he left. Chan waved at them

“That's one crisis averted. Now how are we gonna explain this shit to Jungkook?” Changbin asked

Chan sank his teeth into his bottom lip till the surrounding skin turned white and for a moment he looked like he was about to run but then he got himself together and pulled out his communicator to call Jungkook.

Minho thinks this is the first time he’s seen Chan look so unsure.

**Author's Note:**

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